Providing a gratuity to a person or persons performing a service, colloquially known as “tipping,” is a customary practice. Typically, the recipient of the service, such as a patron or customer, pays a monetary sum as a gratuity to the person or persons performing the service. In some cases, such as with bell desk services, the monetary sum is determined per item (such as one dollar per bag). In other cases, such as with restaurant bills, the monetary sum in a traditional gratuity is typically a fixed percentage of a bill. Unfortunately, calculating a gratuity can be a difficult and unsettling process for many people. The process of determining an appropriate amount can be time consuming and error prone, causing some patrons and customers to under-tip, over-tip, or avoid tipping altogether. For example, a user that “guesses” an appropriate tip may calculate incorrectly or may over-tip or under-tip out of uncertainty.
Unfortunately, products that attempt to assist in the determination of gratuities, such as tipping tables, electronic tipping calculators, and service checks with suggested tipping amounts printed thereon, are also problematic. For example, use of a tipping aid can be socially embarrassing. A user struggling with a mental tip calculation or using an electronic calculator may suffer embarrassment arising from the public display of inadequate mathematical skills. Additionally, tipping aids can be inconvenient (e.g., requiring the user to carry additional items such as a bulky calculator or an additional card in a wallet), may require purchase, and can be complicated to use (e.g., in the case of having to enter information into an electronic tipping calculator).